3com 3CRWE52196 User Guide

G

LOSSARY

Media Access Control. A protocol specified by the IEEE for determining 
which devices have access to a network at any one time.

Media Access Control Address. Also called the hardware or physical 
address. A layer 2 address associated with a particular network device. 
Most devices that connect to a LAN have a MAC address assigned to 
them as they are used to identify other devices in a network. MAC 
addresses are 6 bytes long. 

Network Address Translation. NAT enables all the computers on your 
network to share one IP address. The NAT capability of the Gateway 
allows you to access the Internet from any computer on your home 
network without having to purchase more IP addresses from your ISP.

A Network is a collection of computers and other computer equipment 
that are connected for the purpose of exchanging information or sharing 
resources. Networks vary in size, some are within a single room, others 
span continents.

A circuit board installed into a piece of computing equipment, for 
example, a computer, that enables you to connect it to the network. A 
NIC is also known as an adapter or adapter card.

A set of rules for communication between devices on a network. The 
rules dictate format, timing, sequencing and error control.

Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. Point-to-Point Protocol is a method 
of data transmission originally created for dial-up connections; PPPoE is 
for Ethernet connections.

Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol is a method of secure data transmission 
between two remote sites over the internet.

A standard connector used to connect Ethernet networks. The "RJ" 
stands for "registered jack".

A computer in a network that is shared by multiple end stations. Servers 
provide end stations with access to shared network services such as 
computer files and printer queues.